The present invention relates to a spinal osteosynthesis device for supporting, straightening and fixing the spine, comprising implants anchored on the vertebrae, at least one connecting bar for supporting said implants and removable elements for locking the implants onto the bars.
Surgical treatment of deformations and instabilities of the vertebral spine has been developed in the last three decades. This kind of surgery is unquestionably necessary in the case of some frequent diseases as for instance scoliosis. Several facts, however, have limited its development for a long time. Such facts are e.g. as follows:
both the patients and the surgeons used to have a false conception of these diseases, PA1 the interpretation of the instabilities and deformations of the vertebral spine have not been correct, PA1 the knowledge of biomechanics has been insufficient, PA1 there were no surgical experiences in that field and the techniques of implantation were not developed. PA1 hooks bent in the same sense, PA1 hooks bent in opposite directions, the left hook being directed upwardly and PA1 hooks bent in opposite directions, the right hook being directed upwardly.
The most important event in the field of the development of that kind of surgery was the commercial introduction of the so called Harrington devices which are slightly out of date in view of the important advance in the field of biomechanics of the prostheses and the fact that, recently, the spinal surgery of the above diseases consists of obtaining a postolateral arthrodesis (with the exception of several methods as e.g. ligament replacement or vertebral disc prostheses not very much developed so far).